Surgical or medical instruments often use sharp razor blades. One such instrument is known as a dermatome and is used to produce thin slices of skin from a donor area in order to make skin grafts, for example, to reconstitute skin areas damaged by burns or other trauma. A conventional dermatome generally includes a handle that securely holds the blade and allows manipulation of the blade during use. One example of a dermatome is known as a Goulian-Weck knife. In this type of a dermatome, the handle removably secures the blade by friction and a guard is located over the blade to guard the blade edge and allow a certain thickness of tissue to be removed.
A surgeon may use several blades during a procedure such as a skin graft procedure. Removing and installing blades presents significant hazards to health care workers performing or assisting with such procedures. With Goulian-Weck knives, for example, the health care worker often must grasp or handle the blade directly in an effort to remove the blade from the handle or to install a new blade on the handle. Because the blade is securely held on the instrument, removing and installing blades may be difficult and the health care worker may be seriously cut by the exposed blade.